is on his fword. Hail to the fon of battle, breaker of the fhields! Hail to thee, replied Cuchullin, hail to all the fons of Morven. Delightful is thy prefence, o Fingal, it is like the fun on Cromla; when the hunter mourns his abfence for a feason, and fees him between the clouds. Thy fons are like ftars, that attend thy course, and give light in the night. It is not thus thou haft feen me, o Fingal,, returning from the wars of the defart; when the kings of the world [*] had fled, and joy returned to the hill of hinds. Many are thy words, Cuchullin, faid Connan [+] of final renown. Thy words are ma ny, [*] This is the only paffage in the poem, wherein the wars of Fingal against the Romans are alluded to. The Roman emperor is distinguished in old compofitions by the title of king of the world. [+] Connan was of the family of Morni. He is mentioned in feveral other poems, and always appears with the fame character. The poet paffed him over in filence till now, and his behaviour here deserves no better usage. ny, fon of Semo: but where are thy deeds in arms? Why did we come over the ocean, to aid thy feeble fword? Thou flyeft to thy cave of forrow, and Connan fights thy battles: Refign to me thefe arms of light; yield them, thou fon of Erin. No hero, replied the chief, ever fought the arms of Cuchullin; and had a thoufand heroes fought them, it were in vain, thou gloomy youth. I fled not to the cave of forrow, as long as Erin's warriors lived. Youth of the feeble arm, faid Fingal, Connan fay no more. Cuchullin is renowned in battle, and terrible over the defart. Often have I heard thy fame, thou ftormy chief of Innisfail. Spread now thy white fails for the ifle of mift, and fee Bragela leaning on her rock. Her tender eye is in tears, and the winds lift her long hair from her heaving breast. She liftens to the winds of night, to hear the voice of thy rowers [*]; to hear the fong of the fea, and the found of thy diftant harp. And [*] The practice of finging when they row, is uni verfal among the inhabitants of the north - west coast of Scotland and the ifles. It deceives time, and inspirits the rowers, And long fhall fhe liften in vain; Cuchullin fhall never return. How can I behold Bragela to raise the figh of her breaft? Fingal, I was always victorious in the battles of other Spears! And hereafter thou shalt be victorious, faid Fingal king of fhells. The fame of Cuchullin fhall grow like the branchy tree of Cromla. Many battles await thee, o chief, and many fhall be the wounds of thy hand. Bring hither, Ofcar, the deer, and prepare the feast of shells? that our fouls may rejoice after danger, and our friends delight in our prefence. We fat, we feafted, and we fung. The foul of Cuchullin rofe. The strength of his arm returned; and gladnefs brightened on his face. Ullin gave the fong, and Carril raifed the voice. I, often, joined the bards, and sung of battles of the fpear. Battles! where 1 of ten fought; but now I fight no more. The fame of my former actions is ceased; and I fit forlorn at the tombs of my friends. Thus they paffed the night in the fong. and brought back the morning with joy. Fin. gal gal arofe on the heath, and shook his glittering fpear in his hand. He moved firft toward the plains of Lena, and we followed like a ridge of fire. Spread the fail, faid the king of Morven, and catch the winds that pour from Lena. We rofe on the wave with fongs, and rufhed, with joy, through the foam of the ocean [*]. [*] It is allowed by the beft Critics, that an epic poem ought to end happily. This rule, in its moft material circumftances, is obferved by the three moft defervedly celebrated poets, Homer, Virgil, and Milton; yet, I know not how it happens, the conclufions of their poems throw a melancholy damp on the mind. One leaves his reader at a funeral; another at the untimely death of a hero; and the third in the folitary fcenes of an unpeopled world. Ως οίγ' ἀμφίεπον ταφον Ἕκτορος ἱππο δήμοιο. HOMER. Such honours Ilion to her hero paid, And peaceful flept the mighty Hector's fhade. POPE. Ferrum adverfo fub pectore condit Fervidus. Aft illa folvuntur frigore membra, VIRGIL. He |